Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2026 Kicks Off
3 Jan 2026
The Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2026 officially kicked off today, Saturday, January 3, 2026, with the opening prologue stage, as the Kingdom hosts the iconic event for the seventh consecutive year. The rally is organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation under the supervision of the Ministry of Sport.
The prologue featured a short route in Yanbu Governorate, covering a total distance of 95 km, including 22 km of special stage. The stage aimed to test the readiness of competitors and vehicles, as well as determine the starting order for the upcoming rally stages. A total of 787 drivers and navigators took part in this round, competing across seven categories: Cars, Motorcycles, Challenger, SSV, Trucks, in addition to 97 vehicles in the Dakar Classic and Mission 1000.
